Respecting employees a good investment

If that question makes you feel annoyed or indignant--or if you're muttering something like, "I give them a paycheck, don't I?"--then you probably don't.

And you're only hurting yourself, experts say.

Half of employees say they feel a lack of respect from higher-ups, says Bruce Katcher, president of the Discovery Group, a workplace-oriented research organization in Sharon, Mass.

Workers who feel dissed lose their respect and trust for management, become resentful and less motivated, and ultimately lose commitment to the organization and its goals, Katcher says. He says organizations that are respectful of workers:

- Start at the top. The leaders treat people well and demand that managers do too. It's the trickle-down effect of positive company culture.

- Seek employees' opinions and suggestions. At unhealthy companies, higher-ups are controlling know-it-alls and dictate how things are done, down to the slightest detail.

- Allow flexible schedules. They trust that employees can be trusted to get their jobs done and avoid a time clock-punching atmosphere.

- Treat employees as business partners. They share information about the company's finances, decisions and goals.